The World Drug Report 2020 released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on June 25th pointed out that there are currently more than 35 million drug addicts in the world.

Wali, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said that vulnerable and marginalized groups such as young people, women and the poor have paid the price for the global drug problem. Although the influence of COVID-19 epidemic on the supply of illegal drugs is not fully known, the border control implemented due to the epidemic has caused the shortage of drugs in the market, the purity has decreased and the price has soared.

At the same time, the increase in unemployment is expected to have a disproportionate impact on the poorest people, who are more likely to use drugs, engage in drug trafficking and cultivation, and earn a living.

According to the report, the epidemic in COVID-19 has prompted drug dealers to seek new ways of drug trafficking, and illegal drug trafficking activities such as hidden nets and mailing parcels may increase. The epidemic will also lead to a shortage of severely addictive opiates, and people may look for more easily available substances, including alcohol, sedatives or drugs, through more harmful methods, such as intravenous injection.

The report emphasizes that if the government reduces drug-related policy intervention, prevention and treatment services, as they did in response to the 2008 financial crisis, the measures to combat opioid addiction may be particularly affected.

In some countries and regions, such as some states in the United States, cannabis has been legalized and used more and more frequently, resulting in more and more cannabis products with higher efficacy in some markets. According to the data of 69 countries from 20 14 to 20 18, cannabis accounts for more than half of all registered drug-related crimes.